It was the second half of the Super Bowl, America’s signature sporting event.
Television sets in nearly half the households in the country were tuned to
the annual jamboree in a gleaming New Orleans stadium that was once a symbol
for the worst ravages of Hurricane Katrina.

Jacoby Jones, a wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, had just sprinted the
length of the field, through a violent mêlée, to score a record-breaking
touchdown that commentators referred to as “electrifying”.

Then the lights went out. At least 50 million television sets cut to
commercial breaks during the 34-minute power cut.